The Veja TauÃ¡: Fair Trade, Organic Sneaks

Veja shoes are a pleasure to wear, exemplify responsible business, and more than a few of us at TreeHugger are proud to include them in our sidewalk-pounding arsenal. Based out of France, Vejas are made in Brazil of organic cotton, tree-tapped Amazonian rubber, and leather that is "chrome-free" and "tanned with organic compounds only." The Veja Trainer is a shoe we've featured before, but we're happy to see another model, the TauÃ¡, join the squad.Named after the little village in Northern Brazil where the organic cotton is produced, the TauÃ¡ is another iteration of Veja's simple and clean design sense. Unlike the Trainer, the TauÃ¡ has no leather on board, which some may consider an improvement. If there is a tradeoff from the elegant simplicity of Vejas, it's the relative flatness and non-bouncy nature of the soles—sensitive feet will appreciate the cushion and arch of some insoles. Shoe wearers in the North America can find Vejas in New York, Los Angeles (no longer Scout—now American Rag), and Montreal. Europeans have considerably more numerous options. ::Veja